The tall one
Twenty percent more product in exactly the same floor space — as long as your racks, doors and containers have the headroom.
- Sheet
- 33
- Revision
- 2026-10
- Scale
- 1:1
- Drawn at
- Peoria IL
Everything about the 330
Same floor space as a 275, seven inches taller, twenty percent more product. When your constraint is pallet positions rather than headroom, this is the better container.
- Nominal capacity
- 330 gal / 1250 L
- Footprint
- 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm)
- Height
- 53 in (1346 mm)
- Empty weight
- 141 lb typical
- Filled weight (water)
- 2,890 lb
- Bottle wall
- 65–75 mil natural HDPE
- Cage
- Galvanised tubular steel, 12–14 bar
- Outlet
- S60x6 buttress, 2" butterfly standard
- Top opening
- 6" buttress cap
- UN design type
- 31HA1
- Stack rating
- 3 high empty, 2 high filled on rated units
- Availability
- Less common used than the 275 — plan lead time
| Decision factor | Choose 275 | Choose 330 |
|---|---|---|
| Rack beam opening under 60 in | Yes | No |
| Pallet positions are your constraint | No | Yes — 20% more per slot |
| Used availability matters | Yes — far more stock | No |
| Forklift capacity is marginal | Yes — 470 lb lighter full | No |
| Dense product (SG above 1.3) | Yes | Check floor loading first |
| Shipping empties by the truckload | Yes — 80 double stacked | 72 double stacked |
Three ways the extra seven inches bites
- Rack beam openings. A 60 inch opening that happily takes a 275 will not accept a 330 with any clearance to spare. Specify 66 inches.
- Sea containers. A 20 foot box has 89 inches of interior height: two 275s stack, two 330s do not.
- Centre of gravity. Taller and heavier when full means more care on uneven yard surfaces and ramps. Travel low and slow.
Why are used 330s harder to find?
Fewer get filled in the first place, and the ones that do tend to stay in dedicated service longer. Expect a lead time of a week or two rather than same-day stock.
Do 275 and 330 share parts?
Yes — valves, caps, gaskets and adapters are identical. Only the bottle and cage differ.
Can I mix them on a truck?
Yes, but keep each height in its own row so securement straps sit flat.
The 330 by the numbers
| Fill level | Volume | Product weight (water) | Gross weight | Floor loading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full to line | 330 gal | 2,752 lb | 2,893 lb | 217 lb/sq ft |
| Three quarters | 248 gal | 2,069 lb | 2,210 lb | 166 lb/sq ft |
| Half | 165 gal | 1,376 lb | 1,517 lb | 114 lb/sq ft |
| One quarter | 83 gal | 692 lb | 833 lb | 63 lb/sq ft |
| Empty | 0 | 0 | 141 lb | 11 lb/sq ft |
- Height difference vs 275
- +7 in (53 in against 46 in)
- Capacity difference
- +55 gal, or +20% in the same floor space
- Weight difference, full
- +470 lb of water
- Centre of gravity
- Roughly 3.5 in higher when full — travel low on uneven ground
- Parts commonality with the 275
- Total. Valves, caps, gaskets and adapters are identical
- Used availability
- Roughly one 330 for every seven 275s through our yard
How many 330s fit, and where they do not
| Equipment or space | Empty | Filled | Fits double stacked? | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53' dry van | 36 / 72 double | 20 | Yes, 106 in of 110 | Tight but standard |
| 53' flatbed | 44 | 20 | Not advised | Tarped, single tier |
| 26' box truck | 16 | 8 | No | Liftgate available |
| 20' sea container | 9 | 8 | No — 106 in in an 89 in box | Ship 275s for export instead |
| 40' sea container | 20 | 18 | No | Single tier only |
| Pallet rack, 60 in beam opening | No | No | — | Specify 66 in openings |
| Pallet rack, 66 in beam opening | Yes | Yes | — | Standard answer for 330s |
Why can I not double-stack 330s in a sea container?
Two 330s is 106 inches. A standard 20 or 40 foot box has about 89 inches of interior height. Two 275s is 92 inches and also does not fit, which is why export loads go single-tier or on 220s.
Is the 330 bottle thicker?
Slightly — 65 to 75 mil against 60 to 70 on a 275, because the hydrostatic head is higher. It makes no practical difference to chemical compatibility or service life.
Can I mix 275s and 330s in a stack?
Never. The upper container's cage posts land between the lower container's posts, which routes the load through the bottle. It is the single most common cause of permanent sump deformation we see.
Are 330s harder to find used?
Yes. Fewer get filled in the first place and the ones that do tend to stay in dedicated service longer. Plan on a week or two of lead time rather than same-week stock, and ask in the off season.
Is a 330 better value per gallon?
Per gallon of capacity, usually yes by a small margin. Per pallet position it is clearly better. Per dollar of total cost including freight and racking changes, it depends entirely on whether your racks already take them.
Do 330s come in stainless?
Not in that exact capacity. Stainless IBCs cluster at 350, 450 and 550 gallons, and a 350 stainless is the closest equivalent at a very different price and life expectancy.